Serie A | Gameweek 18

Dec 29, 2024 at 7.45pm UK

San Siro Stadium

AC Milanvs.Roma

Match preview

Not for the first time this season, the brilliance of midfield maestro Tijjani Reijnders helped Milan rise above mediocrity as his goal secured maximum points in their final pre-Christmas fixture.

The Rossoneri's Dutch dynamo fired home from just outside the box at the Stadio Bentegodi to see off Hellas Verona and keep his side within touching distance of Italy's top four.

Across all competitions, no other Serie A midfielder has been involved in more goals this term (10), while Reijnders also tops the shooting and dribbling charts, although several other Milan players have been below their best.

Prior to the win over Verona, they had slipped into mid-table after a run of one win in five, prompting fresh speculation about whether embattled coach Paulo Fonseca would be shown the door.

Not only are they 11 points adrift of arch-rivals Inter Milan and 14 behind leaders Atalanta BC, meaning their slim Scudetto hopes have been dashed, but they are also behind several other challengers for European qualification.

With a place in the last 16 of the Champions League still up for grabs, the second city side have a lot to prove in the second half of the season, which begins early next month after a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana.

Milan may have kept six clean sheets in eight league games at the San Siro this term, but they have also failed to score in three of their last four - as many times as they did in the previous 45. As such, they will be keen to end an underwhelming year by giving their fans something to celebrate.

While Sunday's hosts have won all four of their last Serie A season-ending fixtures, Roma have come up short in each of the last three, having won 17 of the previous 20.

They enter this contest after a tumultuous 12 months that saw the sacking of popular boss Jose Mourinho and club icon Daniele De Rossi, a disastrous spell under new Southampton manager Ivan Juric and the subsequent return of retired veteran Claudio Ranieri.

Although Ranieri's interim appointment seemed to steady the ship, results on the domestic front remained below par as the Giallorossi slipped closer to the relegation zone in early December.

However, after the low point of conceding two late goals to lose at lowly Como, the Giallorossi bounced back with nine goals in two games in less than a week, first dispatching Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia and then beating another of Ranieri's former clubs.

Paulo Dybala, often linked with a move away in the next transfer window, proved his worth by scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Parma at the Stadio Olimpico that lifted Roma back into the top half of the standings on goal difference.

However, they have lost all of their last four away games in Serie A - the club's worst run since 2008 - and have a dismal record against this week's opponents.

The Giallorossi have conceded at least twice in their last six meetings with the Rossoneri at the San Siro, and have won just one of their last nine Serie A encounters.

Recent Performance

AC Milan Serie A form:DDWLDW

AC Milan form (all competitions):WWLWDW

Roma Serie A form:LLLWLW

Roma form (all competitions):LWWLWW

Team News

Milan's long list of absentees could soon be significantly reduced, but it remains to be seen whether a number of players will return in time for Sunday's clash.

Christian Pulisic has been training individually and could come off the bench, while Ismael Bennacer and Luka Jovic are both back in full training.

Rafael Leao, Yunus Musah, Noah Okafor and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will all miss out, as will former Roma full-back Alessandro Florenzi, while Theo Hernandez hopes to end his exile from the starting XI after being dropped amid speculation over his future.

On the other hand, Roma's only injury absentee is Bryan Cristante, who has suffered a setback in his bid to return from an ankle problem.

Claudio Ranieri may therefore decide not to tinker with a winning team, meaning that Milan loanee Alexis Saelemaekers could continue on the right flank, with former Rossonero Stephan El Shaarawy supporting Paulo Dybala up front.

No current player has been directly involved in more Serie A goals against Milan than Dybala (12), but La Joya has only scored once in the league at San Siro - back in November 2014, when he was at Palermo.

Possible starting lineup

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Terracciano; Chukwueze, Reijnders, Jimenez; Morata

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Paredes, Kone, Angelino; Dybala, El Shaarawy; Dovbyk